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My grandfather was a dentist and when I was a kid, we'd go there every year in Pennsylvania and we'd be at his house in his office and all the tools just interested me. And I was always curious and always been sort of mechanical in nature. And dentistry really is just tiny engineering.
The most rewarding part is to satisfy a patient's needs. They might be aesthetic, it might be pain, might be something else, but when somebody has a problem and you solve it, that's rewarding.
I've been practicing from almost 38 years here in Crown Point and I've always kept up with continuing education because it's fun. I just like to learn, generally. I'm happy to be involved with Dr. Krischke in a brand new office with the best technology. And we need to learn about how to use this technology, which makes our services better and wider. The things that we can do for patients, we can do a lot more than we used to be able to do. Now we have handicap access, which we didn't have before, so people can get in here and we can give them more complex treatment plans and offer better solutions because of our technology and expertise.
Dr. Mark Van Buskirk isn’t afraid of hard work. The Hammond, IN native got a grant to attend Wabash College, where he majored in biology and competed on the school’s wrestling team. He painted houses and apartments while attending Indiana University School of Dentistry prior to his graduation in 1982. After receiving his DDS, he worked as an associate for nine years with a local dentist before taking over the practice, now Van Buskirk & Krischke DDS, LLC.
In his spare time, he enjoys spending time under the hoods and behind the wheels of vintage cars, especially Ford hot rods. He is especially proud of a 1932 Ford roadster that he took to numerous prestigious auto shows, including the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It was named one of the world’s most important 1932 Fords on the 75th anniversary of the iconic automobile, which is often called the “Deuce.” Dr. Van Buskirk also participated in touring events such as the Colorado Grand and the California Mille. Some of his favorite experiences racing his vintage cars include competing in a reenactment of the famous Cannonball Run from New York City to Dana Point, CA, and racing at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah and El Mirage Dry Lakes in California.
In addition to restoring cars, he likes to research them and find out their history. Kathy, his wife since 1991, shares his love of vintage cars. His wedding gift to her was a white MGB roadster. The couple lives on a “hobby farm” with several horses, rescued cats and dogs, and one rabbit.
